The measure garnered 250 votes against and 180 in favor, falling short of the two-thirds majority required for passage.

A notable portion of the opposition came from 166 Democrats and 14 Republicans, who cited concerns over Israel's ongoing offensive in the Gaza Strip and called for heightened human rights protections in the region.

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson had previously expressed skepticism about the bill, stating that it was "even worse than we expected" and predicting that it would not advance in the House.

The rejection of the aid package comes amid heightened tensions amid ongoing israel's genocide in Gaza, that began on October 7. Israeli aggression resulted in significant casualties, with at least 27,585 Palestinians killed and 66,978 others injured.

The situation in Gaza has reached a critical point, with 85% of the population displaced internally and facing severe shortages of essential resources such as food, clean water, and medicine.

Additionally, UN reports indicate that 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed as a result of the conflict. (ILKHA)